Law 4533/2018(1), which established the obligation to grant access to 40% of the exploitable lignite reserves owned by the PPC to its competitors, reads as follows (Article 3(10)):

‘From the effective date … of installed capacity thereof’.

Given that:

In accordance with the Ten-Year Network Development Plan of the Independent Power Transmission Operator (ADMIE) for 2018-2027(2), the completion of the project to extend the 400 kV Hellenic Electricity Transmission System (ESMIE)(3) to the Peloponnese is not expected before the second half of 2019.

Although the installed capacity of the PPC’s Megalopoli 5 natural gas-fired combined-cycle power station is 811 MW, the aforementioned provision will limit it to 500 MW(4).

The Megalopolis 3 and Megalopolis 4 lignite power stations, with a net power of 255 MW and 256 MW respectively, which have been conceded to private producers, are guaranteed a priori entry into the System.

The Commission is asked:

As the delay in the extension of the 400 kV network to the Peloponnese requires limiting the generating capacity of the power stations, why is this limitation only applied to PPC’s Power Station 5 and not to the other electricity producers of the Peloponnese? Does this not constitute preferential treatment of private electricity producers to the detriment of the PPC?

Why, when the generation of electricity from lignite is restricted in the EU, are third parties encouraged to take over the PPC’s lignite power stations, while the generating capacity of a power station fuelled by natural gas is restricted?